


5 Steps Below The Earth

by radiochattertherapy (murderousCohort)



Series: & the valkyries looked on in shame [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Death, Ghosts, Other, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 23:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6061449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murderousCohort/pseuds/radiochattertherapy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Warnings for suicide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Steps Below The Earth

5 steps.

He had been dead for who knows how long. Not long, presumably, because his skin was still normally colored. Ghosts were always oversaturated. When you could see them, anyway. Normally you couldn't.

He took a step towards the pedestal on which the bowl sat. Bowls of oil- perfect for Seeing with. This particular bowl smelled strongly of lavender. He inhaled. In life, lavender had been his favorite scent. In death, he couldn't smell it. Ghosts had no sense of smell- everybody knew that.

4 steps. 

He paused, nearly fearful of what would happen when he looked into the bowl. Every ghost was given a chance at seeing what had happened after their death- not everyone took it. Not everybody was brave enough. He had the choice to watch the events that were happening as people realized he was gone, or he had the choice to turn his back on it all.

3 steps.

He looked into the bowl. It shimmered, and he remembered the scent of oil. 

The oil cleared. He saw a room. It was dark, and he could barely make out any details, but there it was, shining. Waiting for someone to enter.

The door opened.

2 steps.

There they were, dark hair bouncing as they walked. They looked around for him- expecting him to sit up and greet them. But instead he watched, and his old form waited.

1 step.

They saw him. He saw their shoulders stiffen, their face crumple. He winced, his face mirroring theirs. 

They rushed to his side, checked for a pulse. They held him close and sobbed. He bit his lip- unable to look away. They cried without shame, clinging to him like a life preserver. He saw them notice the pill bottle. They looked so upset- he nearly regretted it. Nearly. 

They picked it up and turned it over, looked to his pale face. He saw them put the pieces together.

He saw them open the bottle and pour out the remaining handful. 

They swallowed the pills.

0 steps.

A new ghost made their way forward to the bowl. They thought they saw a familiar face flicker in it, but they blinked and it was gone.

The ghost looked down into the bowl.


End file.
